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Re: Pollination prices

Beeserious - 6 frames of brood with 8 frames of bees are good enough to pollinate very hard if they are increasing, especially if you add a pollen trap for 1-2 days before the anthesis time period (about 5 days for almonds) when pollen is accepted from stamen to the style and into the carpel (or however the individual flower works in other species - angiosperms vs gymnosperms - I have to read up on wikipedia and pollinator.com), as the bees will usually double up the pollen effort (say 40% of the colony after pollen as opposed to 20% before the the trap was placed). Exact splitting the right amount of time before the haul up to the almonds is still an art - they want a good feeding well before the trip, but NOT when they get there!

Thanks for mentioning that price! I'd enjoy getting that much for lots of small colonies if I can, but I would probably boost those 4-framers up a frame of brood and combine a shake of queenless nurse bees with them, too. Pollinator colonies need to be larger than that, or they won't do much for the orchard. If it were MY almond orchard AND my bees, I'd probably try to balance my splits with a minimum of 8 frames of brood and 10 frames of bees with honey box on top, comb already drawn but not filled, if I could.

I'd really like to hear from long-time pollinators if there are better arrangements than this, also to hear from almond growers and other crop scientists who really get into it! I'd love to know all the best procedures and offer the best pollination practices to the customers.

Re: Pollination prices

Depends how far you have to travel to place them. Will he be spraying? What else is around for the bees to forage? What do you think your hive is worth if you lose it? then decide what to charge. After last spring and losing hives in the apple orchards my price has risen and I'm very particular where I put my bees.

Re: Pollination prices

I would suggest $100+ minimum if you do it at all. There is more risk than reward here.

If you do it, skim those hives and only bring a minimum of bees. Make splits. You only need 6-8 frames of bees for pollination. Dont bring your full double deeps Eddie.

Think for a minute why he has no beekeeper now? There is No shortage of sideliners in South Jersey to do that small farm work, that cheap.

There is a good chance those crops, the way they are raised today, will injure your bees and there won't be enough time before winter to get them back to health. The bigger 'Keeps do it and bring their bees south and are able to get them back to health down there.

You can't replace the bees for $75. Let alone covering time and effort to move those hives. Just trying to save you the heartache. Stick to making honey. 1 thirty pound box of honey will get you more than that paltry $75 you are offered. 30# of honey x $7-$8 Retailed = $200+ for your efforts.

Re: Pollination prices

I would suggest $100+ minimum if you do it at all. There is more risk than reward here.

If you do it, skim those hives and only bring a minimum of bees. Make splits. You only need 6-8 frames of bees for pollination. Dont bring your full double deeps Eddie.

Think for a minute why he has no beekeeper now? There is No shortage of sideliners in South Jersey to do that small farm work, that cheap.

There is a good chance those crops, the way they are raised today, will injure your bees and there won't be enough time before winter to get them back to health. The bigger 'Keeps do it and bring their bees south and are able to get them back to health down there.

You can't replace the bees for $75. Let alone covering time and effort to move those hives. Just trying to save you the heartache. Stick to making honey. 1 thirty pound box of honey will get you more than that paltry $75 you are offered. 30# of honey x $7-$8 Retailed = $200+ for your efforts.

It's ok 'cause them $60 boys ain't coming all this way for 3 hives.

Just saying.

True to the bitter end for your dead colonies. Pollinating veggies including cukes is harzardous to the bees. No doubt from prolific spraying and lack of forage. Charge him $75.00 per crop and dont reuse the same hives from one crop to the other. Move them out on good forage as soon as its done. DO NOT leave them there the entire summer.

Re: Pollination prices

Originally Posted by Uriah Creek

Is it DOH! lolol? You betcha!!

It's ok 'cause them $60 boys ain't coming all this way for 3 hives.

Just saying.

I mean... we are talking about 3 hives on squash... right... maybe an acre of squash. At $100 a hive that will be $300... probably more than the guys gross on the big garden. And squash only have about a 2 week bloom window... so the hives will not be there very long and are not likely to suffer... unless the guy uses crop dusters on his acre..... No bobcats to load no flatbed to fill with diesel... no netting... no spreaders. Take you $180 and grin all the way home....

Re: Pollination prices

Originally Posted by Eddie Honey

HE won't have enough bees. There's at least 10 acres of squash here. There are watermelons 30 rows away or so but they aren't in bloom yet.

He needs 10 for the squash and about 40 for the melons. There need to be enough bees to force the bees to pollinate... they are not going to like squash and melons unless that is all they have to eat. Main thng..... get them out before the SHB.